Transportation Update

While many of our much needed transportation projects are on the back
burner because of state funding issues, we’ve been able to move some of
our key Lee District projects forward using Fairfax County transportation
bond funds, C&I (commercial property) taxes, and other funding
sources.

Harrison Lane/South Kings Highway:

Traffic flows more smoothly since one of our worst local bottlenecks—the
intersection of Harrison Lane and South Kings Highway—was improved last
August. The $3 million dollar project that provided dedicated turn
lanes for both west and eastbound traffic came from a 2004 Fairfax County
transportation bond.

Telegraph Road/South Kings Highway to Van Dorn Street:

Last year, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my motion to
fund the widening of this short 1,500-foot section of roadway.
Telegraph Road between South Van Dorn Street and South Kings Highway will
be widened to four lanes with new turn lanes added to Telegraph Road,
South Van Dorn Street and South Kings Highway. A public hearing
took place last September and construction is expected to begin in early
2013.

Telegraph Road Interchange:

This work is part of the final phase of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Project and will be completed in 2013. It will include widening a
two-and-a-half mile section of the Capital Beltway, direct access to
Eisenhower Avenue from Telegraph Road, and new elevated ramps connecting
the Beltway to Telegraph Road, Huntington Avenue, and North Kings
Highway.

Construction continues on the four-lane road that will connect Route 1
to Telegraph Road just north of Beulah Street. Construction began
in 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2012 and I am pushing hard to
expedite the schedule—especially in light of the pending BRAC moves to
Fort Belvoir. In addition, as part of this project Telegraph Road
will be widened to four lanes from Beulah Street to Leaf Road with
completion in late2012.

Route One:

The recently enacted federal budget includes $150 million for
transportation infrastructure improvements associated with medical
facilities related to the BRAC decision. We are already working on
the required grant application for the funds that will cover widening
Route One between Mount Vernon Highway and Telegraph Road.
Preliminary engineering and environmental assessments are underway.

The General Assembly has recently authorized a Route One transit study
that directs the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to
identify needed public transportation services to Fort Belvoir and
Quantico. Once the study is completed, it will be critical for the
State to step up to the plate with long-needed improvements to congested
Route One.

Final Phase of the Fairfax County Parkway:

This project is a priority for me and my colleagues on the Board of
Supervisors, especially given BRAC transportation needs. As part of
this final phase, a four-lane road between Rolling Road and Fullerton
Road, providing direct access to I-95 opened last September.
Related ramp work continues with total project completion set for late
2012.